The Brotherhood
by Mysterious Waffle
Summary: My first big, official story. A tale of lies, darkness, family, and just plain madness. This is the story of Ridley, and how he saved the Dark Brotherhood. T for violence, language, and some adult themes. Like a story of the Brotherhood should be.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

As Ridley walked through the gate from the small town of Riverwood, he felt little remorse for refusing to get help. Not an hour before, he had been staring his own doom in the face, and now these fools expected him to go and speak to some Jarl? He felt his face contort into a dark scowl. He turned, and spat at the ground in front of the gate. Really, the only thing he had to thank the town for was the steel dagger he had nicked off of the blacksmith. Poor sap never even knew he was there. He supposed he was also grateful for the store owner, who's name he had forgotten. Those swords he had scavenged from the fallen Stormcloaks had been traded for a spell tome, which he planned on using as soon as he could. As he turned towards the road before him, thunder clapped overhead. His dark eyes turned to the sky, and saw that a storm had rolled in- and much faster than he had expected, too. He felt a small pang of fear in his chest, as he had little to nothing to protect him from the rain. He had neglected to take the armor off of any of those that he fought to ensure his freedom. He felt sure that he wouldn't need it, and now was going to pay the price. Deciding he had better get a move on, he headed off into the woods. Seemingly seconds after he stepped through the treeline, he felt the first few stinging drops of water strike the skin of his shoulders. He hoped that his nord blood would help him to survive this excursion, and set off once again. He stumbled blindly through the now pouring rain, keeping next to the river as much as he could. He kept his fingers moving in small shapes to keep them from locking up, and eventually came to a small clearing. Through the clouds, he saw a gleaming castle, surrounded by buildings and a high wooden wall. 'Whiterun,' he thought to himself. 'Looks like I am going to have to go there after all,' and he began his trek down the hill before him.

He had almost made it to the road, when he heard a noise in front of him. He quickly crouched, and dove behind a tree. To a passerby, he would have appeared to turn invisible on the spot. He gazed through a hole formed by roots, to see a hunter on the road towards Whiterun. He surveyed her, and came to a conclusion in his mind. He looked all around to find any guards that were near, and saw none. He ran, panting, out from behind his tree.

"Please, help me!" His black hair fell in soaking cords around his face, emphasizing his paleness. The hunter turned towards him, alarmed.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, please, help! Its my sister! She fell, I think she's broken her ankle!" Ridley spoke with the urgency that only a caring brother could have. The hunter, whose name was Ariella, knew that she could not refuse help to this poor young man.

"Oh, my! Take me to her, I have some potions that can help." Ridley bit his lip to keep from smirking.

"Come, quick!" And with that, he turned and ran off into the woods, Ariella close behind him. He ran deeper and deeper into the woods, the hunter behind him having to struggle to keep up. Then, she rounded a corner, and saw him standing still. She ran past him, expecting to find a wounded girl on the ground. She found nothing. She scanned the forrest before her, trying to find his sister.

"Where is she? I thought you said she needed help," she said.

"Oh, someone needs help, alright," spoke the voice from behind her darkly. She barely had time to react. Before she knew what was happening, she felt his hand wrap around her chin, pushing her throat out. She felt his arm wrap around her neck, and squeeze. Before she knew how to react, she had passed out.. Rypol let her body fall limply into his arms. He smiled, proud of his work, and dragged her into a nearby cave.

Once inside, he quickly removed his own clothes, feeling the cold air seep into him even more than before. He then proceeded to strip Ariella the hunter bare, trying to pay little attention to her well formed curves. He was a gentleman, after all. He dragged her limp form over to the back of the cave, and slid his old clothes over her naked form. He pulled her hide armor on over his head, which fit surprisingly well. He tugged on the leather gauntlets down over his hands, taking pleasure in the warmth. He tucked his feet into her fur boots, and wriggled his toes until the friction had brought back feeling to them. Lastly, he pulled the hood she wore over his head. He then took the time to sift through the bag she had worn at her hip, placing the items inside it before him. Looking them over, he found a pair of minor healing potions, a second steel dagger, a book entitled 'Brothers of Darkness,' a few hundred septims, a potion that bolstered frost resistance, and a cooked skeever tail. He picked up what he needed, and left the potion of frost resistance for her. He took it over to her limp form, and set in down in her hand. He lay a silent kiss on her cheek, and whispered, "Thank you ever so much for all the help, my dear." With that, he stepped out into the rain once again, and began to walk along the road towards Whiterun, a cheery smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you for the review, Mr. Anonymous! I hope to keep this story going at a fair pace, but I will be forced to slow down a bit once I return from winter break. I would like to tell anyone who is reading this, REVIEW! Please, it really helps and encourages me. Lastly, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays! And don't worry about my update speed, I have PLENTY of ideas for what's gonna happen to Ridley. Marvelous plans...**

Ch. 2

Ridley stepped through the large, wooden gateway into Whiterun somewhat apprehensively. He had only barely convinced the guard outside to allow him entry, and was even more concerned when he learned of the Imperial Legions presence inside the city. When he walked past a soldier begging for more equipment from some poor blacksmith, he surreptitiously tugged his hood further down his face. He did not think anyone would recognize or harrass him, but he wanted to be safe.

He walked further into the Hold, taking in the sights. The rain had finally cleared up, and he was able to get a good look at his surroundings. Skyrim was just as marvelous as he had pictured, and the Nord blood in him felt at peace with being home. Now, Ridley was by no means a stereotypical Nord. Unlike his kinsman, he had never had a problem with magic, and was rather thin. He had always preferred a sword to an axe, but was most proficient with a dagger or bow.

His more stealthily inclined skills had no use in Cyrodiil, what with the Empire falling apart, so he decided to make the trip to Skyrim. Of course, he had not made it far before he was struck on the back of the head and woke up on a cart, about to be executed.

Ridley shook his head to clear the memory, and walked up a set of stone steps to a small shop, called 'Belethor's General Goods' and walked inside. While inside, the obnoxious store-owner kept on trying to scam him out of his hard earned money. Ridley shot a glare at him, which shut him up. He walked out with much less coin, but much better equipment. Deciding that he would get a better look at what he had bought indoors, he walked over to an inn. A sign hanging out front labeled it 'The Bannered Mare'. He opened the door with a creak, and the smell of fire, mead, and cooked meat knocked him senseless. He smiled warmly as he shut the door behind him.

As he stepped quietly inside, he surveyed the area. There was a great, blazing fire pit in the center, with an armored Nord sitting beside it, as well as a bard singing about some man named Ragnar. He payed little attention to the song whilst he made his way calmly over to the barkeep.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you have a room available for the night?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk.

"Yes, we do have one ready for ten septims a night. You interested?" she asked without looking up from the mug she was cleaning.

"Yes, I'll take it," he replied. She insisted on showing him to his room, though he could see it from the bar. After she had left him alone, he sat down on his bed, and emptied the contents of his satchel. He had bought a few carrots, some venison, two-dozen lockpicks, as well as a potion of magica. He figured that if he was going to train in the art of conjuration, he would need it eventually. He had already read the spell tome he had bought earlier, and had learned to cast "Soul Trap." He had tried to use it on a fox that he spotted on the way there, and the effort had nearly brought him to his knees. He then set out the last item he had: the book he had taken from the hunter, 'Brothers of Darkness'. He cocked an eyebrow at the strange tome, and placed the rest of his spoils back in the bag. He changed out of his armor into a set of plain clothes he had taken from a chest when Belethor wasn't looking. He walked onto the indoor balcony next to his room, and sat down. He began eating one of his carrots, and opened the book.

'As their name suggests, the Dark Brotherhood has a history shrouded in obfuscation…'

Ridley set down the book he had only just finished with a strange look in his eye. He had, of course, heard tales of this "Assassins Guild" in the past, but he always placed them firmly in the category of superstition. In reading 'Brothers of Darkness,' however, he began to realize that there may be more to it than he previously believed. He pondered how a group of murderers could consider each other as family, and how they could live under one roof without trying to kill one another. He was taken out of his reverie by the sound of the downstairs door slamming open, and frantic footsteps rushing in. He looked down, and standing in front of the fire was Ariella, wearing his old ragged clothing.

"I've been robbed!" she cried, drawing the attention of everyone inside.

"I was cheated out of my equipment in the mountains! He told me that his sister was in danger, and when my back was turned, he knocked me out!" She was in an absolute state, her eyes wild. The Nord in the iron armor asked her,

"Who, woman? Who did this to you?" She seemed to focus slightly, as if trying to remember.

"A Nord! He was thin, with dark hair, and eyes black as night! I almost died, he left me in the rain!" At this, Ridley scowled. He had certainly _not _ left her in the rain, he had made sure she was inside the cave. He had even left her a potion to help with the cold. Was she trying to make him seem worse than even he was willing to admit?

"I was so cold, when I woke up- and my clothes! He changed my clothes! I have no idea what he did to me while I was unconscious! What if I was taken advantage of?" Ridley was astounded.

"That little witch! I did no such thing!" he muttered to himself, "and she _knows _I didn't! She's just trying to gain more sympathy than she deserves!" His face paled when he heard the barkeep say that she had given a Nord who matched her description the upstairs room not four hours ago. The armored man downstairs unsheathed his battle-axe, and began to ascend the staircase. By the time he opened the door, Ridley was fully equipped and was leaping over the rail on the balcony.

He landed, and rolled next to the fire. As he dove out the door, he heard Ariella cry, "Thats him! He's the one! He's the criminal!" Ridley did not let up. He sprinted as fast as he could toward the gate that led out of town, and dodged multiple guards as they tried to stop him. He reached the gate, and pushed it open. The second there was enough room for him, he dove out and climbed the wall. Ignoring the path, he sprinted across the wall, and leapt out into the field. He raced over to a nearby carriage, and told the driver to take him as far away from there as possible. The driver replied,

"I'll take you to Windhelm for fifty septims." Seeing the yellow-clad guards close on his heels, Ridley threw the coins into the drivers hand, and the carriage raced off into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

"Hey, you. We've arrived," Ridley slowly opened his eyes. As they came into focus, he became aware of small flakes of white drifting down from the heavens. He shook his head, and looked around. The carriage had stopped in front of a large, stone bridge which led into a town. "Windhelm?" he asked the driver. "In all her glory. This is the main base for Ulfric and his Stormcloak rebels," the driver replied. Ridley gave a grunt. He could really care less about politics. He thanked the driver, and hopped down off of the cart. He began to walk across the bridge, the early morning air crisp against his face.

He had evaded those guards, but it was close. Had they caught him, it would have been his word against that deceiving hunter, and he had a sickening feeling of who would win the courts favor. On the ride over, he had thought long and hard about what had to be done about her. It had not taken him long to decide that she would need to die. He would not allow her to continue to stain his already shady reputation.

He had thought about how he would do the deed. He reasoned that she must live in Whiterun, or she wouldn't have gone there to ask for help. He supposed that if he were to "ask" the nord from the tavern, he would know where she lived. He also decided that he would wake her up before he ended her miserable life. He wanted her to see the blade gleam in the candlelight before it plunged into her flesh.

Without realizing it, Ridley had reached the main gate of the town. The guards posted outside dutifully shoved it open, permitting him entry. He stepped in, and the first thing he noticed was just how old the city was. The stonework was well put together, of course, but was worn and cracked. Even the people seemed faded somehow. He walked by some strong looking Nords harassing a Dunmer, and stepped into the inn directly across from the main entrance.

He dusted the snow off of his shoulders, and pulled his hood back off of his head. He walked to the inn keeper, and asked for a room. The sleep he had gotten on the carriage had done little to soothe his weary body. The inn keeper gave him the room for the night, as well as a free meal.

"You'll find the dining hall upstairs to your right," she told him. He took his piping hot venison stew, and followed her directions. He sat down in a large armchair by the fire, hoping to warm his feet. Once he had relaxed, he took in his surroundings. There were several other people in the room with him, all going about their own business. There was a bard in a corner, singing 'Ragnar the Red', and a pair of Dunmer talking in hushed voices nearby. Seeing nothing of interest, Ridley turned his attention to his stew, which he had to admit was very well made. He was on his fifth bite when he began to listen in on the elves across from him. While he could not make out exactly what they were saying, he could understand the urgency in their voices.

He surreptitiously stalked over to the cooking pot, to get closer to them. He threw a carrot into the pot, not mindful of what on earth he was doing.

"Are you sure? I don't think you can possibly be correct…"

"It's true, I tell you! The boy is dealing with them!" Their voices were very quiet, but just loud enough for Ridley to listen with interest.

"Oh, come now! The boy has had a tough time of late," spoke the elf closest to him.

"No one is denying that Aventus has had a real bad time, but its the truth," insisted the mer across the table.

"Oh, stop that! You seriously are trying to convince me that a little boy would be capable of-" The dunmer's voice dropped even lower, and Ridley had to strain to hear-

"-the _sacrament_?" The other elf sat quietly for a moment, his red eyes gleaming by the fire.

"Yes. Aventus Arretino is summoning the Dark Brotherhood." The bard stopped singing. The entire room went quiet. Ridley nearly dropped his spoon into the pot, he was so stunned. The dunmer looked about uneasily, then walked downstairs. Slowly, the murmur of the room came back, as the others who stayed there whispered uneasily.

'The Brotherhood? This couldn't be more perfect!' Ridley thought to himself. 'I must find this Arretino boy… find him before they do.' With that, he left the burned carrot floating in the pot, and walked to his room. 'But first, I must rest.' He walked to his bed, shedding bits of armor as he stumbled. He fell into bed, only his gloves still on, and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.


End file.
